Necromancer, summoning 055? What the heck?

Chapter 241 The Eternal Court: The Silver Moon's Undercurrents and the Struggle for Power
Just as Lord Chen Mo was busy taking off, Elder Elf Aiona, riding her old companion of over forty years, silently glided into the vast Silvermoon Forest.

From the scorching, empty, golden desert of the Vast Sea Territory, where the air was thick with the heat of the desert, to this green world shrouded in trees and dappled with sunlight, the elven troops felt a sense of calm. However, they soon encountered cold stares from their own people.

In the Redwood Highlands, the elven guards who were to greet them, a male elf with long, pale golden hair, drew out his words, his voice filled with undisguised malice.

"Look, our esteemed Elder Mingyi has returned!"

"What interesting 'toys' did they bring back from that human lord's territory this time? Were they going to bring us another bootful of sand?"

A low but clear chuckle came from the patrolmen behind him, and Isera clenched his fists.

How could Ysera tolerate such sarcasm in front of the chief elder of the Silvermoon Elder Council, the oldest elven senior, and a warrior who had risked his life for the elven race countless times?

Iona raised her hand to stop her.

The man opposite him was no ordinary ranger; he was also an elder of Silvermoon, a rising star among the young elites, and Angus was the most popular candidate to succeed as captain of the Elven Guard.

The current captain of the Elven Guard is Ysera.

This is a full-scale struggle between the old and new elves. As rivals, it is perfectly normal for the rising newcomer to mock the departing old guard.

"Ysera, have you forgotten what I said?"

"If words were useful, the Frogmen would be the ones ruling this world now."

The Fro-Frogmen are a land-based aquatic race, once known as the Swamp Tyrants along with the Seth Fishmen, famous for their unparalleled chatter and loud voices that could wake the dead.

In the era when elves ruled the continent and had loose control over remote areas, these creatures were widely distributed in large wetlands and swamps. However, after the rise of humans, these scattered tribes lost their living space and were trampled upon by pioneering lords, becoming their battle achievements, training grounds, and, of course, the boots on their feet.

Aiona's concession did not win the other party's gratitude. In fact, the respect this chief elder received in the elven tribe came mostly from the older generation of elves and a portion of the middle generation of elves.

Those young elves, who are less than two hundred years old and grew up in a relatively peaceful environment, no longer take these old-fashioned creatures, whom they see as "stubborn, conservative, and out of touch with the times," seriously.

A generation has passed, and what is lost is not only shared memories, but also the reverence for elders in our blood!

Angus was furious when he saw that Aiona wasn't angry, but instead looked at him with the same eyes one would give a junior for fooling around.

He pounded his chest and added to Iona, who was walking away on her own: "Elder Iona is always so 'visionary,' always thinking of using the gifts of our forest to fill the insatiable appetites of those greedy outsiders! Don't forget, the reason the plains under the sun are so dazzling is because they were destroyed by your hands."

Iona stopped the Nightblade Shadow Panther, turned halfway around and nodded to Angus.

"Thank you for reminding me, I certainly won't forget!"

Beyond the Redwood Highlands lies the central ring of Silvermoon Forest, the living area of ​​ordinary elves. Here, one can often see treants of various sizes, slowly patrolling the woods with their root-like feet.

The air was filled with the familiar scent of damp, decaying leaves and earth, interspersed with moss that emitted a soft glow along the path. A clear stream meandered through the woods, its bottom covered with luminous pebbles, the sound of its flowing water like the gentle strains of a harp.

Not far away, massive tree roots twisted and turned, and from the treetops came ethereal birdsong and delicate, wind-chime-like sounds. Those were the "Children of the Stars" nestled deep within the canopy, vibrating their crystal-like wings.

On the branches of those trees, intricately constructed clusters of treehouses are attached, close to the elf houses on the ground. Rope ladders woven from various vines are like fast passageways, connecting the buildings together at unimaginable angles.

The elves peeked out from the forest and greeted Iona and her companions warmly.

"Great Elder!"

"The Grand Elder is back!"

"Sister Ysera, you look a little tired. You need to get some rest!"

Some mischievous elf children slid barefoot down the tree trunks, giggling and running alongside the group for a short distance, trying to reach out and touch the Nightblade Shadow Panther's smooth, satin-like fur.

This warmed Ysera's heart. Most ordinary elves didn't understand factional struggles or stance determinations, but they were full of respect and enthusiasm for all the elders of the Silvermoon Council.

Hearing the cheers rising and falling, the Nightblade Shadow Leopard, back in the forest, strode with extra vigor. After another half-day of trekking, Aiona and her group finally entered the inner ring of the Silvermoon Forest.

Here, giant trees that would take several people to encircle form a continuous stretch, with naturally formed spiral staircases on the thickest ancient tree trunks in the center, leading to the Elf Council Hall that unfolds among the dense canopy.

This is the heart of Silvermoon Forest, the "Eternal Court" where the Silvermoon Elders reside!
Here, Iona unsurprisingly faced another round of questioning.

Where there are people, there are factions; the same is true where there are elves.

As the highest governing body of the Elven race, the Silvermoon Elders Council can be broadly divided into three factions: the "Restoration Party," represented by Chief Elder Eona, who is committed to conquering Silvermoon Forest and restoring their former territory; the "Stargazers," who adhere to neutrality, observe the situation, and prioritize the practical interests of the Elves; and the "Watchers," who are only willing to stay in Silvermoon Forest and do not want to shed blood and die again for those unseen homelands.

Of course, there are parties outside the party, factions within the party, groups within factions, and smaller groups within groups. If you really want to subdivide the factions, you can't count them all on four hands.

In the past, the Restoration Party had firmly held a majority in the Silvermoon Elder Council, controlling the long-standing policies of the elves, supporting half-elves, instigating conflicts between nations, and attempting to disrupt the situation on the continent through various means, seeking a glimmer of hope for the elves to leave the forest.

However, exporting comes at a price, and when such a price is paid for repeatedly without any return, it will eventually gather more and more opposition.

For them, every resource that the Restoration Party distributed should have belonged to them.

In a language that Earth can understand, the older generation says, "If we endure a little more hardship, we will have a better future," while the younger generation says, "No, why should I suffer?"
The conflict between the two sides became increasingly acute. As time went on, the Restoration Party's advantage in the Silvermoon Elder Council diminished, and with the passing of several elderly elves, they finally reached this critical juncture.

Once the Moon Festival in November arrives and the newly elected elders enter the Silver Moon Elder Council, given the current status and stance of the candidates, there is a very high probability that the Watchers will narrowly overtake the Restoration Party and become the dominant side.

At this moment of impending victory, how could the Watchers let go of this chief elder who had always acted arbitrarily?

Lillian Light Song, the leader of the Watchers, addressed her supporters at the gathering to welcome the two elders back, speaking in her distinctive hoarse voice: "Gentlemen, the ambitious ones are eager to return to their once-glorious territory, to stain that plain that no longer belongs to us with the blood of our nephews and nieces!"

"We have been patient and patient, but now the Grand Elder is acting so arbitrarily, betraying our Fountain of Life without consulting the Silver Moon Elders Council!"

Lillian suddenly turned her head and stared at Iona with fierce eyes.

"Do you think we wouldn't know about your private deal with that human lord? It's not enough that you've already given away three 'Tree of Life Seeds,' you also have to pay him two hundred bottles of Spring of Life, including forty bottles of 'Source Essence'."

"Iona, how dare you!!!"

With a furious rebuke from Lillian Light Song, the elven elder's hair was spread out like a phoenix spreading its tail feathers, and her surging anger swept through the entire hall as if it were a tangible force.

A chorus of agreement came from the surrounding area.

"Elder Qingge is right! Isn't the shelter and tranquility that the forest provides enough?"

"The Tree of Life belongs to the elves, and the Fountain of Life belongs to the elves; it is not the private property of any individual!"

"Yes, Elder Ysera, isn't she going a bit too far with her methods to support that little girl of her blood relation? Using the treasures of the elven race to curry favor with others!"

"What's the use of that bow even if it's stronger? It's too ugly, and I feel uncomfortable just holding it!"

Faced with a barrage of accusations, Iona did not refute them, but instead turned her attention to her ally, Tina, who was also a core member of the "Restoration Party".

Apart from Isela Mingyi, who was always by his side, no one knew about the agreement reached with Lord Chen Mo. Only Elder Tina, whom he had appointed to manage the resources of Moonflower and Fountain of Life, had received his notification to take charge of the resources.

I never expected that I would sell myself out so easily.

Faced with Iona's questioning gaze, Tina slightly averted her eyes, her voice soft, carrying a hint of dissatisfaction and worry.

"Aiona, you've gone too far. This is gambling with all the resources of the elven race for a slim chance. That's wrong!"

“Even as your best friend, I cannot allow you to do this.”

The gentle, warm air of the forest softly enveloped the "Eternal Garden." The birdsong in the forest had faded away, leaving only the elves' questioning voices. Ysera felt slightly dizzy; she had never expected to return to face such a situation.

Did Iona foresee this?

But now even his former allies are opposing him. Does he have to wipe out the entire Silvermoon Elder Council?

Ysera looked helplessly at Eona, only to see a smile playing on the lips of the chief elder, the veteran archetype.

“Lilan, if you’re cowardly, just admit it. You don’t need to make it sound so high and mighty. Your nephew’s blood? Has your nephew ever shed a single drop of blood for the elves?”

"Seventy percent of my family, including Ysera's, didn't live to be three hundred. A few years ago, when we went to pay our respects, we couldn't even gather enough people to offer sacrifices and carry branches. What right do you have to lecture me?"

"As for Tina, I know they've been sending you things all these years since you took charge of the Fountain of Life. But as long as the general principles of distribution are sound, I'll pretend I didn't see it, whether you want to give them earlier or later, or who gives them first or last, and whoever wants to profit from it!"

"What, now that your distribution rights have been affected, you're already eager to cling to those 'slime faction' and pledge your loyalty to your new master?"

The "Slime faction" refers to the Watchers, mainly describing their softness.

After giving a strong verbal rebuttal to the two faction leaders, Iona did not continue the argument. As she had said before, verbal sparring was worthless in the context of the bigger picture; in the end, it was all about interests and strength.

The Chief Elder needs some more time.

"Gentlemen, I know that many of you are constantly thinking about overthrowing my 'dictatorial' rule. Fine, I'll give you a chance!"

"I just got back from outside, please allow me to rest for a few days."

"Forget about the Silver Moon Festival. On the next full moon night, I invite all elders to the Eternal Court for a meeting. If you can get enough support, then let's see if you have the ability to kick me, the chief elder, out!"

"I also want to see if there is still any space for our Restoration Faction to survive in this forest!"

Hearing Iona's resolute words, Lillian was overjoyed.

She knew that Iona's prestige was still intact; this time she had simply acted too aggressively and offended more people. If Iona changed her policies after a while, or if she won over certain people again, it was still uncertain whether she would be able to seize power smoothly.

Even if everything goes smoothly, I will have to wait at least six months until the Silver Moon Festival to take control of the government.

Now, Iona is calling a conference ahead of schedule, which is simply courting death!
"Okay, it's a deal!"

Fearing that Iona might change her mind again, Lillian Light Song quickly cut to the chase: "Elder, you must be tired from your long journey. Go back and rest now. We'll meet again at the full moon!"

"Okay! See you at the full moon!"

The two faction leaders exchanged a meaningful glance and passed each other. For the next period of time, both sides sprinted at full speed to integrate their own factions, persuade and win over the neutral elders, and—train their troops.

On Iona's side, she had only brought a small group of guards with her when she went to the Vast Ocean. The other guards still needed to get used to and adapt to the composite bow. In addition, the Chief Elder needed to make some other arrangements.

And the other party is not naive or innocent.

Lilan moved her core troops, which were stationed in the forest, back in batches. In particular, the elite troops under Angus, the core force of the Redwood Highland Iron Pole, were deployed to the outskirts of the Eternal Court several days in advance.

When the full moon, a silver disc symbolizing the power and destiny of the elves, rises as scheduled above the Eternal Court, the Silver Moon Elder Council officially begins!
(End of this chapter)